


Shindig

by ruuutabaga



Series: Basket of Fruit [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alliteration is fun!, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Author knows nothing about fashion, Dog BB-8, Established Relationship, F/M, Fancy Dinners!, Fashion!, Gen, Silly, fluff!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-10 10:22:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6980374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruuutabaga/pseuds/ruuutabaga
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey felt a bit like Cinderella, except without the indentured servitude (Even if Ben always left his dirty socks on the floor) or evil stepmother.  Phasma was her fairy godmother.  She was probably going to turn into a pumpkin by the end of the night, if she ate and drank enough.  She already had the prince, too.  So maybe it wasn’t quite like the fairy tale, but it had some similarities.  Like a fancy dress.</p><p>Modern Day Business AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Getup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! I wrote another thing, though it took me forever. Life's been busy, unfortunately :( I've had this part written for a while actually, but then I kept adding to later stuff so I thought why not split it into 3 parts, make it a short 3 shot, instead of a moderately long-ish (For me) one shot and give myself some encouragement!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who kudo'd and reviewed the prior fic's :) Thanks for taking that time :D
> 
> This isn't the most exciting thing ever (Even I was a little bored by it, and I wrote it. That bodes well :D), but it's pretty much fluff. It's set in the middle of 'Best Wishes', between the 3rd and 4th parts of that. This is probably more than a little inspired by AquaWolfGirl's Satan Wears a Rolex, except not as awesome and mostly subject to my inability to take shit seriously and lack of knowledge of fashion of any type.
> 
> Anyway! Enjoy! (Hopefully)
> 
> Took me 3 tries for Ao3 to post this, so any formatting issues there are, I give up.  
> I think I dropped the F-bomb like once in here so uh. Only warnings are for language.  
> Editeded only by me, so any mistakes are mine. wat r tenses for the nth time.  
> I own nothing.

Rey really didn’t want to go tonight.  It was for charity, each plate costing upwards of $300 and Ben had to go for work, make an appearance that said First Order Industries truly was reformed after the arrest of Director Snoke a few years ago.  She’d tried her best to get out of it, whined and wheedled, but Ben had been insistent and told her it really wouldn’t be that bad, that they wouldn’t be there all night and she would know at least some of the attendees.  What did she know about fancy dinners and fancy people?

 

She had married well, she thought, a loathsome phrase yet accurate in its own way.  A voice that sounded like Unkar Plutt telling her she wasn’t so far removed from the little street rat, charity case, scavenger she’d been for more than half her life, grabbing at things far above her.  It had gotten quieter over the years, but it still cropped up from time to time.  It was having a field day today, though, dragging up her insecurities about her marriage and disparity in their earnings.  She was doing her best to quash it.

 

But Ben had insisted, and Leia would be there, (Not Han though, he was out of town with Chewie at a race.  Everyone was pretty sure he’d planned that and all Rey could wonder was _why hadn’t he invited her along_ ) as would Hux, so it’s not like it would be like that one school dance she’d attended in a try to be _normal_ when she was 14 and been a wallflower, alone and miserable in an ill-fitting dress.

 

So she had to go.  She’d even tried to pull a ‘I have nothing to wear!’ and Ben had just blinked at her and told her to go buy a dress.  And then she’d said ‘But I don’t know anything about dresses!’ and Ben had told her to take Jessika or Finn and Poe with her-- actually, wait no, don’t take Jessika, she loves sparkles and pink way too much (She’d shown Rey her Bedazzled hockey jersey from high school once, it had been horrifying) and Finn and Poe were out of town, see if Phasma will go instead.  Phasma had surprisingly agreed, but the only day she’d been free had also been the day of, leaving them somewhat pressed for time.

 

Which is how Rey had ended up stuffed in Phasma’s surprisingly compact and sensible car, on their way to the downtown shopping area with a credit card Ben had stuffed in her wallet.  Rey hadn’t ever been close to Phasma.  She wasn’t standoffish or anything, but she didn’t invite conversation, even small talk.  And Rey sucked at small talk.  Even Hux was almost more chatty than her, if only to spill his usual disdain for people around.

 

And she was intimidating at first glance.  She was as tall as Ben, taller depending on her heels; not that Rey was that short herself, just everyone who worked for First Order Industries was apparently giants.  Maybe it was something in the water.  She was a solidly built woman, and carried herself with a somewhat no-nonsense bearing, her hair usually strictly styled.  Rey wasn’t sure if she was more attracted to Phasma or intimidated by her.  

 

Probably a bit of both, honestly.

 

“Do you have any ideas of what sort of dress you’d like to get?” Phasma asked after the silence in the car had stretched out from their initial greetings, one that had started to verge into awkward.  She glanced away from the road for a moment at Rey, peeking over the tops of her sunglasses.

 

“Ah, no.  I haven’t worn a dress since junior high,” She replied, staring resolutely out the window.  Phasma nodded.  

 

“Any particular color you’re fond of?”

 

“No, not really.  I like greens, but I don’t think I look very good in them.  Or at least that’s what Jessika said.” Phasma nods again, like that’s about what she expected.  They lapse into silence again, though it’s not really awkward, just…  quiet.

 

They finally pull up in front of a high end boutique, parking and feeding quarters into the meter before heading inside, and Rey is immediately struck by how much she doesn’t really fit in.  She’d worn a clean pair of jeans, the ones with the least holes and grease stains and a somewhat nice button down.  She’d even dug her best bra out of a drawer and forgone her usual three buns, hair tied back into a simple pony tail.  But glancing around the room, seeing how Phasma fit in with her simple slacks and sleeveless blouse, she felt entirely out of place.  As Phasma turned away, Rey could see the edge of a tattoo, something round and jagged peeking from beneath her blouse on her shoulder blade.

 

A saleslady approached them, introducing herself as Esmé, how could she help them today, did they need anything in particular.  She had the best customer service smile Rey had ever seen.  Rey was trying desperately to hide behind Phasma, without much luck.  Phasma gripped Rey by the shoulder and shoved her to the front despite Rey’s best efforts to hide.  Phasma was _strong_ , so she really had no hope.

 

“We need a dress for her, for the First Order Charity Gala tonight.” Phasma told Esmé, who’s smile at Rey had suddenly sharpened, like she was sensing money in the air.  She pulled Rey forward, saying something about measurements and lengths and a gentle inquiry to price points (Phasma had murmured something in response that Rey hadn’t caught, distracted by a mannequin in something that she was pretty sure was made from a dead seagull) and Rey had been abruptly overwhelmed.

 

Thus began a whirlwind of measuring tape and being poked and prodded, forced into gowns that Phasma would offer a maybe towards, or veto outright.  After she’d been forced into one gown she liked, a high necked white piece, ankle length and flowing with a belt.  The skirt hung in a ruffly, dotted tatter and honestly Rey quite liked it, though Phasma vetoed it after a moment, saying it was too whimsical.  Another one had been a floor length purple and black laced _thing_ , also high necked and Phasma had that look on her face, like she was about to say ‘Maybe’ when Rey managed to blurt out that she thought it looked like it had fake flower petals glued to it.

 

Phasma had made a face and said no to the dress.  Esmé, perhaps sensing her clients fatigue had called for a break, helping rey back into her jeans and tank top.  She wandered out of the changing rooms, flopping onto the couch with a huff next to Phasma.  Phasma sat up straight, but not rigidly so, phone out as she typed a message to someone, before she set it to the side.

 

“Thanks for doing this, Phasma.” Rey finally said, looking at the taller woman.  Phasma turned to her with a small smile.

 

“No worries.  I like shopping and Ren said you were basically hopeless,” She replied teasingly, prompting Rey to stick her tongue out in return.  It was true, but they didn’t have to say it.

 

They lapsed into silence, and Rey kept her hands in her lap, resisting the urge to pluck imaginary fuzz from the couch.  Unable to take the quiet anymore, Rey finally thought of a question.

 

“Are you going to the gala tonight with Hux?” she blurted.  Phasma turned to look at her, and for a moment she looked simply sad, before her face cleared to something more resigned.  Rey knew at the very least that Phasma and Hux were _together_ , though she didn’t know how serious it was or if she should be even voicing in a roundabout way that she knew about them.  Rey sucked at small talk.

 

“No, I am not.” She stated with a finality and Rey was prepared to move on, try small talk about something else, like the weather or a sports team, when Phasma continued.  “It wouldn’t do to flaunt our…  relationship, such that it is.”

 

Rey nodded, looking away and trying to ignore how sober Phasma had sounded as she elaborated.  She hoped Phasma wasn’t offended.  She picked at a loose thread on her jeans for a moment, fingers skating around yet another grease stain (She hadn’t thought there were so many on these pants, jeez) before Phasma seemed to gather herself, and stood, beckoning to Esmé.  The salesgirl approached, offering them both refreshments.  Rey helped herself to a cookie and a glass of some fruity juice before wrenching herself off the couch to go back to trying on dresses.

 

After a short plaid?  Was that plaid?  Number, more suited for nightclubs than galas in her opinion, and an odd floral print with a black lace front were forced onto her, more dresses than she could count, she was getting tired of it.  The amount of fabric names and dress styles being tossed back and forth by Phasma and Esmé were making her head spin.  She was ready to sprint out the door, and run home in her skivvies when finally she was pressed into a dress she sort of actually liked.

 

A floor length skirt that flared around her hips and trailed the ground, and a top that sparkled with sequins (Jessika would be so proud) in stripes, patches cut out to show her skin.  More skin than she was comfortable with, honestly, but the best part was that it had pockets!  She had a place to keep her things and wouldn’t be forced into holding a clutch or making Ben carry everything.

 

Phasma watched her for a moment, before nodding.

 

“You like that one?” she inquired, and Rey nodded only a little bit shyly, so Phasma nodded decisively in return and stood, turning to Esmé.

 

“We’ll take this one.” she stated.  Esmé smiled and helped her out of the dress and into her clothes, all while chattering about how wondrous a choice it was, did Phasma need a gown as well, perhaps one to match, they made such a lovely couple.  Rey, munching on another pastry, choked.

 

“I-- we, I mean--” she sputtered, trying not to spew half eaten cake on the other two women.  She knew she was blushing, could feel the heat making its way across her face and down her neck.

 

Phasma just laughed, not uproariously, and turned, leading Esmé towards the check out.

 

“I'll meet you at the checkout, _Darling_ .” Phasma positively _cooed_ and Rey’s blush redoubled and she knew she probably looked like a lobster as she sputtered.  Her wedding ring was on a chain around her neck and not on her finger, but surely the saleslady had seen it in helping her get dressed?  It wasn’t the most fancy of rings, just a gold band, but she would have thought it was obvious what it was, and Phasma’s lack of a ring!  And yeah, maybe she alternated being terrified and aroused by Phasma, but she didn’t think they gave off the ‘Couple’ vibe.

 

Red faced, she stumbled over to the counter, watching as they wrapped the dress in tissue and lay it in a box.  Phasma had held her wallet as she tried on dresses, and she grabbed the credit card out of it Ben had handed her earlier.

 

“That’ll be Nine Hundred and Forty Seven dollars and sixty three cents,” the cashier chirped.  Rey froze in horror, eyes darting from the dress in its box, to Phasma, to the cashier.  She made a strangled noise, choking without aid of pastry this time.

 

“That’s--  that’s, what the fu--” she started, when Phasma abruptly cut her off with a hand on her shoulder.  Rey clammed up, staring blankly ahead as the card was handed over and the transaction completed.  Dazed, she followed obediently as Phasma took her arm in one hand and the dress in another and lead her out of the boutique.

 

“Over Nine Hundred dollars for a dress?” She mumbled.  Phasma smirked at her over her shoulder, looking amused as she was lead back to the car, sitting in the passenger seat in a flop.

 

“It was actually one of the cheaper ones you tried on.” She stated and Rey choked for the third time in as many minutes.

 

“How, how much were some of those dresses?” she stuttered.  Phasma smiled again.

 

“At least three were over Eighteen Hundred.”

 

“Eighteen Hundred?! What the fuck are they made of? Saffron fronds woven with diamonds?!”  And she might have been halfway to yelling, but that was a lot of money.  Maybe she didn’t have to worry anymore about where her next meal was coming from, or how many holes her clothes had, but that kid eating ketchup smothered on a slice of bread for dinner was still a part of her.

 

“Ren said to just try and keep it under two thousand, and we did.  Plus, you looked lovely in that dress, and it doesn’t always hurt to spend money on things if you have the means.  It’s a beautiful dress.”  Rey frowned, looking away.  Some small part of her figured Phasma and Ben were right, but it still didn’t make her entirely comfortable.

 

“Well, we can go home now at least.  I don’t have to put that get-up on for at least a few hours at least.”

 

“Oh, no.  We’re not done.  We still need shoes.”  Rey sank down in her seat, deflating.  “And I’d take you to get some makeup and underthings, but we don’t really have the time.  The dress at least, you won’t need a bra with your chest.  I assume you have at least one pair of nice panties?” Phasma asked and Rey blushed once again.  “We’ll stop at my apartment and you can borrow my makeup.” she continued without waiting for an answer.

 

Rey tried not to feel dismayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--Do not take my opinions on fashion seriously. I know shit all. Jeans and T-Shirts for LIFE. I once wore two different plaids together. IN PUBLIC. I don’t even own a dress that isn’t 10+ years old in the back of a closet.
> 
> \--For the dress trying on scene I googled Daisy Ridley in gowns and used different dresses she wore. Honestly, the black dress I stuck with looks I thought like an overgrown pencil skirt hitting the ground but I was tickled by the idea of her being excited over pockets and it was one of the less weird/short ones. So there you have it, my thought process. Yippee.
> 
> \--Like srsly, I don’t even like fancy clothes. WHY AM I WRITING THIS.
> 
> \--I’m aware these are designer gowns and probably far more pricey than I said in the fic and not all available in the perfect size in one downtown fancy ass shop. For the sake of the fic (And my sanity), go with it.
> 
> \--In the original fic, I said BB8 was a corgi (A lot of writers do this, and I love Corgis) but I wanted something huge and fluffy for my own purposes. So BB8 is now a red Malamute. Sorry not sorry. HUGE. And FLUFFY.
> 
> \--Ben/Kylo and Rey keep their finances separate. Mostly. She makes a point to not inquire about how much he spends on things and mostly ignores him when he tries to get her to buy herself anything fancy. The dress is an exception. She lets him buy the food for entirely selfish reasons in that she really, really likes food.
> 
> \--Kylo knows how to cook and half the time he’s pretty sure that’s why she married him. Because he feeds her.
> 
> \--Rey is always looking for snacks or something to munch. She grew up not always sure when her next meal would be so she eats when given the chance. Ben's picked up this habit from her as well. They both have huge sweet tooths. teeth? tooths.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! Maybe! IDKMAN. Part Two is mostly written, Part 3 is in bits and pieces. I have other things mostly half written, which is why this took so long to get out. (Who knows, maybe I'll actually get something out soon. I make no promises.)
> 
> I have a Tumblr! I poke at it occasionally! Feel free to bother me on it! ruuutabaga.tumblr.com/


	2. Dress Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically this took me forever to get out because I had what amounted to the busiest weeks ever. Between work and family stuff I was basically never home and when I was I was asleep. Like I would sit down with my laptop and open up the doc and be asleep in about 20 seconds. But stuff is calmer now so all is good!
> 
> But here it is! Chapter 2! Where in I am once again sick of looking at this and basically wrote this on my phone. Thanks for everyone who reviewed and stuff :D
> 
> When will chapter 3 be out? Hell if I know :(
> 
> I own nothing. Editteded by me only once again, So all mistakes are me own. If you see the word elephant let me know in a comment. I used it as a placeholder and I'm pretty sure I got them all.
> 
> Warning: one slighttllyyyyyy sensual scene but nothing to up the rating over.

Rey was pretty sure she was exhausted as they stumbled up the steps to her and Ben’s house, unlocking the door.  There was a bark as she opened the door, and BB8, Poe’s large red Malamute rushed out the door, barking a greeting and dancing around them in an excited, tail-wagging dance.  Her and Ben were watching the dog while Poe and Finn were on vacation someplace exotic.  Ray couldn't remember the actual name, just someplace warm with beaches.  Phasma held the boxes with dress and shoes above her head, not wanting to chance getting any of the dog’s long fur near.

The boxes were set on a stool by the counter, and Phasma bent down to BB8’s level, petting the dog’s soft head and scratching her ears.  BB8 groaned and leaned against her, instantly in love with a few scratches.  Phasma didn’t budge, Rey noted, as the dog rested her heavy weight against the tall woman’s legs.  She was a bit envious of that; she was almost knocked on her ass everytime BB8 leaned against  _ her _ .

Eventually BB8 settled, sitting on  _ her _ chair (A beat up, broken recliner that didn’t recline anymore that was pretty much the only piece of furniture Rey had brought with her into the house) and chewing contentedly on a bone.  Ben wasn’t home, having sent her a text saying he had to go to the office to finish some paperwork and would stop at the grocery store on his way home for more dog food and milk, but he’d be home in time to get himself ready and they would leave.

“Go shower, then get dressed.  Make sure you wear a button down shirt so we don’t mess up your hair.  And bring down a hairdryer and any hair products you have.” Phasma told her.  Rey sighed. She’d hope to at least get some food.  They’d had a light lunch before shopping for shoes, just a salad and some french fries.  Phasma had offered the last of her fries to Rey, ‘if you want them,  _ honey _ ’ said with an amused twinkle in her eyes. She’d turned red once again and eaten the fries.  She wasn’t going to let good food go to waste.

If Rey had thought that the dress trying on was a trial, the shoes had been almost worse.  Things were only made better by the fact that Rey had demonstrated over and over she was fully incapable of walking in the multitudes of heels Phasma had pressed on her, so they’d been forced to select a lower, wider set.  Besides, it wasn’t like anyone would have been able to see them beneath the drag of the skirt.  “People pay attention to these things.” Phasma had told her.  She remained skeptical.

Turning away with one last mournful look at the fridge, she swiped a granola bar from a basket on the counter and munched on it as she trundled up the stairs.  Stuffing the last bit in her mouth, she stripped and hopped in the shower, rinsing off the day’s sweat and washing her hair.  She didn’t linger long, not wanting to waste water.  Old habits died hard.

She dried off, hair thrown up in a towel and put one of Ben’s button down shirts and an old pair of gym shorts on before heading back into the bathroom.  She opened the cabinet and stared at the products in there, mostly Ben’s, before selecting a mousse at random and a brush from the drawer as well as the hairdryer.  She headed down to her fate.

Phasma was sat on the couch now and BB8 was sitting on the floor in front of her, head in her lap as her ears were scratched while Phasma studied something on her phone.  She looked up at Rey and stood, brushing her hands to knock loose some of the dog hair.  From experience she knew that was a lost cause; BB8’s fur stuck to pretty much everything and was next to impossible to remove.

Phasma grabbed a dining room chair and swung it around from the table, taking the objects from Rey and setting them on the table.  She gestured for Rey to sit.  Rey did, only a little bit petulantly.  She was starting to feel a bit like a child’s doll, dressed up repeatedly and posed and prodded.

Rey started to relax as she felt Phasma’s hands run through her hair, spreading product and starting to dry it with the hairdryer.  The drone of the hairdryer was oddly relaxing.  She only stirred when she heard the front door open and BB8’s soft wuff of greeting.  Her eyes opened and her head lolled forward as she felt a yank on a bang and she opened her eyes to see Ben.  He bent over and pressed a kiss to her temple, despite Phasma’s protest that he would mess up her hair.  He disappeared a moment later, headed deeper into the kitchen.

“Do you have any bobby pins?” Phasma asked.  Rey thought about it, then shook her head.  She didn’t.

“I do.” Ben piped up from the kitchen, turning to look at them with a cookie hanging from his mouth.  Rey glared at him.  She wanted a cookie, too.  Phasma quirked a brow at him, but held out a hand and made a grabby motion.  Ben sighed, heading towards the stairs, his hand holding out a cookie to Rey as he passed.  She snatched it up and stuffed it in her mouth, savoring it, even if they were  _ only _ oatmeal.  Phasma sighed, mumbling something about being glad they hadn’t started her makeup yet.  Moments later he came back and dropped a handful of bobby pins in Phasma’s outstretched hand.

Rey let herself zone out again as Phasma continued working on her hair, before moving onto her makeup.  She absentmindedly followed Phasma’s instructions to turn this way and that, pout when told, but between mascara and foundation, blush and lipstick, she felt as primped and primed as she could possibly be.  At some point BB8 had come over and begun to sniff around Rey and Phasma, possibly searching for more cookies and stayed when Rey scratched her back, forcing Phasma to work around the large fluffy dog.  BB8 seemed to enjoy the attention though, tail thumping against Phasma’s legs the entire time.

She could hear Ben upstairs getting ready himself, occasionally calling down to inquire about the location of something.  He came down in slacks and an undershirt, his hair wet before he stole back his hair dryer and disappeared back upstairs.  BB8 followed him.

Soon enough Phasma was finished painting her face, sending her upstairs with the dress and shoe boxes and instructions to recruit Ren into helping her put it on.  The sounds of a struggle echoed from their room and she opened the door to find man and dog playing tug-of-war with a rag toy.  Both looked at her somewhat sheepishly.

“Really?  I’ve been being trussed up like a christmas turkey and you’re up here playing with BB?”  She looked at him in mock disgust as she set the boxes on the bed.  BB8 woofed at her and pranced over with the rag toy, butting it against her hand to try and entice her to play.  Rey gave her a pat, before grabbing the toy when the dog dropped it and throwing it out the door and down the stairs.  The fluffy dog scrambled after it and Rey shut the door behind her.  She turned back to Ben, who had removed the cover of the dress box and was poking curiously into the tissue paper.

“I hope you’re happy,” she grumbled at him.  He looked up from his investigation at her, brow quirked in question.  “We spent a stupid amount of money on a dress  **and** shoes I’ll wear probably once in my lifetime and it’s your fault.”

Ben just rolled his eyes at her, before turned back to the box, lifting the dress from the tissue paper.  Rey started undoing the buttons to her shirt.  “You’re the one who said you had nothing to wear,” he replied.

“I was trying to get out of having to go tonight, not get you and Phasma to play dress up with me.  Do you have any idea how many dresses I tried on today?”

“No, but I’m guessing--”

“I lost count, that’s how many.” She interrupted, glowering at him.

“That sounds like a lot of dresses.” He ventured after a moment, drawing the dress from the tissue paper and holding it aloft in front of him, studying the dark, sparkly garment.  “You get dog hair on that, and I’m not saving you from Phasma.”  she warned.

Finishing unbuttoning her shirt, she approached their bureau.  Dropping her shorts, she fished her nicest pair of underpants out of a drawer and slipped them on.  Turning back, she found her husband still holding the dress before him and watching her get dressed.  His eyes were dark.  Smirking, she let the button up shirt drop off her shoulders to the floor in a heap.  She sauntered over to him without a top, watching how his eyes followed the sway of her hips, and dragged upwards, lingering on her bare breasts.

“No bra?” he questioned.  She shook her head and took the dress from him.  Taking a moment to undo the fastenings and zipper, she stepped into the dress and drew it slowly up her body.  Clutching the front against her as she worked it up over her chest and settled it, she turned away and glanced at him from over her shoulder.

“Zip me up?”  She let her eyes close as soon as she felt his hand on her back, the heat of his fingers trailing slowly down to grip the zipper and dragging it up, cinching the fabric tighter around her waist.  His hands left the zipper at its end in the small of her back, sliding along the skin bared at her waist to her stomach, tugging her towards him.  He pressed himself to her against her, warm and solid.  She turned her head towards him, meeting his eyes before his gaze moved to her lips and he started to duck down towards her.

The look on his face when she put her hand over his mouth and twisted out of his grip was pretty priceless, if she did say so herself.

“Nope, no kissing.  If I have to wear this getup for this shindig, I’m not taking any chances of you mussing my face and having to go through all that  _ again _ .”  Kylo huffed a breath at her, pressing forwards as he reached for her.  She pressed her hand against his mouth, pushing his head away and forcing him back a step.  She felt something warm and wet brush against her palm.

“Oh ew, did you just lick my hand?”  She gasped, yanking her hand away from his face.  Ben smirked at her.  “I’ve had my mouth in much worse places than your hand, I don’t know what you’re--” he started smugly, stopping when she blushed and clapped her hand over his mouth again.

He just licked her palm  _ again _ , making her squawk in indignation.  Rey gave him a disgusted look and wiped her hand on his undershirt.

“Hurry up and get dressed,” she told him.  “We’re not going to be late.  Even fashionably late.”  She shut the door in his face before he could retort.

A moment later she had to reopen the door, slipping in to grab the box with the shoes, ignoring Ben’s smug face.  She shut it less gently this time, letting the door slam shut as she scooted out.

She would have stomped down the stairs too, but the skirt was a bit too tight around her hips to do that.  She really didn’t feel like having to go to the hospital today after taking a header down the stairs, though it would get her out of having to attend.  

An idea to keep in mind for the future, maybe, if she needed an opportunity to get out of another fancy dinner.

Making it to the bottom of the stairs, Rey glanced around for BB8, ready to fend off the dog should she come seeking attention and inadvertently cover the dress in fur.  After a moment she spotted the dog once again by Phasma, seated quietly at the blonde woman’s feet and staring adoringly up at her.  

Apparently a beautiful friendship had formed between woman and dog.

Though BB8 was totally a whore for ear scratches, so honestly Rey wasn’t that surprised.

Phasma moved to the sliding glass doors, opening them and shooing BB8 out the door into the small patch of grass that was behind their house.  Half of it was taken up by Rey’s garden, but it left enough room for the large dog to do her business and distract her from the people inside for the moment.

Phasma held out her hand to Rey.  She took her hand and Phasma lifted her arm, guiding Rey into a spin.  The skirt didn’t have much give so it didn’t swirl out around her, which Rey was mildly disappointed by; she got over it rather quickly.  Phasma gave her a critical look, before letting Rey’s arm drop and taking a step away.

“I suppose you’ll do,” she stated, grinning at Rey.  Rey grinned back, trying not to blush.  Ben came clomping down the stairs moments later, engrossed in a loop of cloth around his neck. He finally gave up with an annoyed huff and turned towards them.

“Can one of you tie my tie?  I haven’t had to do a bowtie in years.”  Ben asked, glancing from Phasma to Rey.  Rey just stared blankly back.  With a sigh that sounded mostly disgusted (she sounded eerily like Hux, in fact) Phasma stepped forward and brushed Ben’s hands out of the way, making short work of tieing it into a neat bow.  Patting his arm, she stepped back.

“There. Now that the both of you are settled, I shall take my leave. Bring a lint brush.  Tell Hux I'll be at his place tonight. Have a nice night.” and she stepped out the door with a wave of her hand over her shoulder as Rey and Ben called their own goodbyes and thanks.

Ben turned to her. “You ready to go?”

Rey just held up her box of shoes. “Help me put these on and I will be.” she replied, sliding back to sit on a stool and raise her foot, wiggling her toes at him.  Kneeling in front of her he dropped the box to the side, nabbing a shoe and grabbing hold of her foot.  She was glad she wasn't ticklish as he set about putting the shoes on her without any fanfare, not even a grope. 

  
“Go get in the car, I'll let Beebs in.” he handed her a lint roller and strode away. Rey snatched up her bag of stuff she carried (some might call it a purse) and headed out the door, ready. Ready for what, she wasn't quite sure yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--Phasma and Finn are aware of each other and aren’t friends. They’re not antagonistic, but they don’t really get along that well either. When they do cross paths it’s more a mutual agreement to just not interact. Poe and Phasma aren't as antagonistic and have mastered the art of small talk with each other.
> 
> \--BB8 is totally a whore for ear scratches and will love you forever if you scratch them right.
> 
> \--Their house is a small old house in an old part of the city with a tiny lawn but nice area. They're constantly working on renovating parts of it.
> 
> \--Rey does not know how to girl. Ben has luscious af hair and knows it.
> 
> I have a tumblr! ruuutabaga.tumblr.com/  
> Feel free to bother me on it!:)


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